Chapter 7:
Only a little while later we were all back inside the Temple of the Damned, my new demon close by my side.
I was sitting on a bench at a large table inside the general room of the warlock quarters with Kaal on the opposing side, carefully watching me and my freshly acquired pet.
It seemed we both were still somewhat unsure if that had been an actual fight against the succubus or not. But no matter what I had to admit, she was indeed an impressing one. She had paralyzed the great Kaal Soulreaper without even having to look at him. Of course that also made wonder whether he was really that much of a warlock, but doubt and backstabber-y seem to run deep with the Forsaken culture. And naturally he didn't confess any of it, but I was sure that it had been exactly that way from the moment on he proclaimed in with the trembling voice of a teacher that the things I had done were nothing short of reckless and incredibly dangerous.
As if I had had a choice or simply had done it out of fun and for the sole purpose of amusement...
The whole time were talking, Darnys had been lying on a large pile of pillows in a corner not too far away from us. She definitely liked the place and she didn't feel too out of it, but she kept a close watch over me. At least she didn't stare, but there was something peculiar about the looks she gave me every time our eyes met shortly.
She had been like this ever since the moment I broke free from her spell. Only moments after she backed away from me, the paralysis wore off and I just simply fell to the floor. Kaal's apprentice had to help me walk, so that I was able to even get into the temple somehow.
At that point she even gave me a kind of worried look, but as soon as I was able to keep my balance again she was basically all over me. She was such a strange creature..., I wasn't able to fully understand her reasoning and it would take me a good while before I even got only the slightest idea of how she thought.
Anyways..., everywhere she had touched me felt somehow numbed, not that I would have been able to feel too much anyhow but I was worse than that. It's hard to describe and it took quite a while for this effect to wear off. The first time she tried to touch me after having revealed her name to me I flinched. How should I know that she could control this aura of hers to such an extent that it wouldn't hurt me anymore? And even despite that I guess if she really had wanted to, she would have still been able to inflict pain upon me.
During the time we now had to wait, whilst I was resting; Kaal told me about the fourth and last demon I had to get if I wanted to become a warlock of skill, as he put it. He also mentioned how this would be the most difficult to overcome because the Felhunter, as this demon is called, feeds on magic and its users. I would have to fight in a very clever way and full of wit to bring down such a beast as someone who controls the nether to create magic of any sorts.
At one point when Kaal had still been talking on and on about something absurd, Darnys suddenly stood up and came over to us. Some warlocks would have probably seen this as an outrage that she acted on her own just like that. And even Kaal looked at me like he had been waiting for me to react. But honestly... if I really hadn't wanted her to do this, I probably just could have ordered her to leave me again or completely dismiss her to the demonic realm. Yet somehow at that point there was something utterly strange for me to even think about ordering her around like that. But on the other hand, she just came over and sat down onto the bench next to me... there's nothing wrong with that, is there?
She came as close to me as possible, lay her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder. Again I flinched when she first touched me, but I realized relatively fast that it did not hurt at all.
Soon she was only breathing slowly, her eyes closed.
Kaal also had a sort of disbelieving look on his face when he saw her..., well, cuddling up with me.
But after only a short while of silence he couldn't keep his big green mouth shut any longer and started to talk again. This time providing me with actual useful information, he told me a few more things about the felhunter and the common whereabouts of these creatures.
The first thing I was told was that I would need the assistance of a strong warlock residing in Ratchet to be able to summon this demon. The idea of needing help from yet another stranger immediately put me off, but it would only get worse... I would apparently also need a special grimoire, the Tome of the Cabal, written long ago by warlocks associated with the Burning Legion. Concerning this I should talk to Jorah Annison on the other side of the moat in this quarter of Undercity. He should be able to help me out in this matter. Funny thing about this being how I didn't actually need this book as I was to find out later... It was a little extra Soulreaper added especially for me.
With still some time to spare after giving me the brief rundown of what I would have to do next, Kaal used the time I would still need to rest my oppressed body to start a bit of small talk.
He eagerly tried to find out more about me, the whereabouts of my origin, my former life and whatnot. But the first thing he started out with, was telling me how most people who called themselves warlocks weren't even able to summon three different demons. Most of them only had imps and even mostly only one of those at their side. He labeled them as try-hard's and impostors and I will second him on that part without having to think about it. Then he started to compliment me on how fast I had learned to control this almost limitless power thriving at my command, not to mention how quickly it grew on top of that. And you couldn't even deny it... I had easily obtained my first three demons in not even two weeks. He clearly stated that he had never met someone like me before.
At that time I still was a bit too astonished every time somebody talked about me like that, but it told me that I was still on the right way. Even the head of the warlock guild of Undercity acknowledged the progress I had made so far. And furthermore he told me, that after I had obtained the felhunter, he would teach me some of the stronger and more difficult spells. Those forbidden ones, which could easily kill you when performed wrong or without care.
The succubus by my side was still calm and quiet. I guessed she really fell asleep after a while, no matter the rambling orc going on about whatever he felt appropriate and important. Not sure what exactly drove me to do so but I lay my right arm around her, careful not to wake her up. I took it as kind of a reflex on my part.
Meanwhile Kaal began trying to question me. It was no secret that hardly anybody knew a thing about me. The only thing that everybody knew was the name Hector and that wasn't even right... But thinking about the Forsaken around me, I was quite sure that even Kaal wouldn't believe me if I ever told him my true name. Yet I seized the opportunity as it arose and tried to get rid of being called Hector at least. So it had been up to me to think of an alias and that as quickly as possible and what I came up with was the name Ceberus, still known today. It is a strong name in my opinion, easy to remember and yet concisely, not too hard on the tongue but also capable of striking fear to an opponent's heart.
So in the end, the Soulreaper wanted to get to know me better and all I did was giving him an alias as a new name. That was all that it came down to for him. I didn't tell him anything about myself, still in fear of what might happen if I would reveal too much of my former life. I didn't want to risk everything I had achieved to be stained with a hostile shade of scarlet.
Kaal seemed a bit disappointed by the outcome of our little talk and quite frankly, I can't blame him.
Shortly after we finally had ended our conversation, my succubus raised her head slightly and rested her chin on my shoulder. She looked at me with large drowsy eyes and stretched her arms and legs, her thin tail raised high up into the air for a few short moments. Then she noticed my arm on her back, offering me a lustful smile in return as she also winked at me. To be honest, I didn't really know how I should handle the situation, so I slowly took my arm away, but before I fully managed to do so she just started to embrace me on her own once again.
It took me a while to shake her off. And although she didn't seem too pleased with this final outcome, she accepted it like a good demon, at least for the moment. I wasn't sure but I assumed she just tried to make up for what she did to me earlier. And she did me good that time... I took a few days for me to regain even only the ability to walk more than three steps on my own. Not much left to tell about it, except that it had been terrible... but I saw through anyhow. There was no other choice for me and if you think about it, it was most likely worth it when thinking about Darnys.
Only once I had found myself able to walk in straight lines again I informed Kaal that I would begin with my assignment and as I said my brief farewell to him I already began making my way out of the temple. Yet before I had left, he reminded me that I should return to him here in Undercity if I would be successful, or at least still alive.
I was overly excited at that time. This would be the fourth and last demon I had to obtain before I was looked at as a skilled warlock. This all was occurring so fast, not wanting to call it 'too fast' though would surely be more fitting. It was as if my power was surging, growing steadily with every hour that passed.
The succubus by my side was skipping happily along while we walked towards the moat with the green fluid. Her sudden reaction then showed definite signs of being disgusted of it telling solely from the look she had on her face upon seeing it. I on the other hand just walked on towards the bridge being used to the sight of the green ooze by then. Darnys immediately seized the chance and linked arms with me as she had caught up to me again. She surely was a clinging demon..., no doubt.
I found the undead called Jorah inside the bookstore of Undercity. Actually it was more like a small library the way it had been set up but well, he was a map maker by profession and most of the literature he had in his store was about geography. I decided to skip the unnecessary intro and asked him directly about the folio which I needed. He wasn't too surprised that someone was interested in the book and besides, the warlock guild already had given him a heads up on me coming around sooner or later. The folio I sought was what he called a piece of great fell literature.
There never were too many copies of it, but after about three copies, all in different places in Azeroth, were lost or destroyed, the elders of Stormwind tried to preserve at least one of the books in the foolish desire to preserve even the most dangerous knowledge. And as the wheels of fate turned they actually found out where one of these transcriptions was located they eagerly started making plans on how to best retrieve it. This paper treasure of old had been spotted within the depths of Jaedenar, home to the cultists of Felwood in the north of Kalimdor. A group of hired mercenaries, not knowing what the book they were searching for was worth or even about, fought their way into the deepest caverns of the Shadow Council... They suffered severe losses, but nevertheless two of them were able to retrieve the book.
In the meantime one of the human elders had been talking to a dwarven friend of his. That man was such a blunt idiot, giving such a secret away in the broad of daylight over a mug of ale, because of something as idealistic as friendship... Only mere hours later the elders of Ironforge sent message to Stormwind that in the name of their ongoing alliance they wanted a share on the folio. But the humans refused to make another copy of it, knowing only too well of the power the dwarves would have if they had the full text in their tiny hands with the stubby fat finger if they should come to be aware of the items meaning.
So the human elders decided to rather have the book rendered, to vandalize it by ripping out little more than two thirds of the pages. This was still done be the mercenaries, for in Ashenvale the two survivors were told that they should split up and deliver the two parts to different people. One of them was supposed to go to Auberdine, a small elven harbour north of their position and take a ship to the city of Menethil, from there on he would be escorted to Ironforge. The other one was to undertake a trip to Gadgetzan far off in the south and at the little harbour there take the ship to Stormwind.
Yet none of the two ever reached their destinations.
The one travelling to Ironforge with the tome and only a rough third of the text boarded the ship to Menethil as he was ordered, yet the ship was lost along the shore of the Hillsbrad Foothills not too far from here. The rumors say the ship was attacked by a large group of murlocs for unknown reasons. It is up to the gutter to tell stories about the connection to the book. There were supposedly only one or two survivors of the attack, none of which ever to be met.
The other mercenary with the tied up rest of the folio joined a caravan heading for Gadgetzan. Unluckily they were attacked by a group of raging centaurs while passing through the area known as Thousand Needles.
"It is a pity to lose such a piece of great and powerful literature in such a pathetic way..." Jorah shook his head while saying these words. The story behind this book was quite interesting, I believe even my succubus had listened in carefully on it.
I knew that I would have no choice but to retrieve both parts of the book on their own... The Forsaken standing in front of me would surely have paid a good amount of gold for the folio. Yet it quickly came back to me how I should rather keep my thoughts focused on getting it because of the felhunter.
I wondered if I was the only warlock that had to go through all this trouble for his demons... I didn't know too much but it somehow felt strange nevertheless. Little did I know...
By doing this I paved the way for countless other warlocks to come. Yet on the other hand, by doing it this way I also was able to determine my strength, I could even make a name for myself. Yet even despite my high hopes, I never got the credit for my deeds...
After thinking about it for a while, a certain motivation was rising up in me.
I followed the advice of Jorah and decided to travel to Hillsbrad first I had to go to Ratchet anyway later on. That would be first time I went to Kalimdor.
Jorah left me with a somewhat strange farewell by saying 'Tread lightly warlock, these kinds of stories tend to repeat themselves', but I headed off anyhow. As I gathered a small amount of supplies from the local stores the anticipation started to rise up. Darnys was openly enjoying the fact how my mood started to heighten and also began smiling at me more often even though I ignored most things she did or said. I was too focused on getting everything going.
Luckily for me the bat transport was at work again, which would speed up everything by a lot.
This animal had a much steadier style of flying than the creature I had last time, although I was almost kicked from its back once when it suddenly flew straight down towards the ground for a few seconds. It took me about twenty minutes to half an hour to get from Undercity to Tarren Mill, at least I think so. You easily lose track of time on the backs of those bats if you ask me.
Upon arriving I didn't bother with asking the inhabitants of the village about the book, I just assumed they wouldn't know anything about it anyhow...
It was quickly out of the question that any other demon would accompany me on my quest other than Darnys, so she would be the one taking the place at my side this particular time. I still easily recall how I thought of her company as a mere pleasantry despite any of her rather obvious hints. Yet there were things more important to me and without doubt would her presence only yield advantages compared to the other two possible choices, both of which would surely have only complained about the landscape being either not dark enough or too stretched out to walk all the way.
But even with all things considered retrieving the tome from the murlocs would soon turn out far more difficult than I had initially expected.
I made my way to the coast and as soon as I had finally reached the coastline I found myself basically standing right in the middle of a murloc kingdom. The beach was swarming with those ugly, noisy, fishlike creatures. Their scales glistening brightly under the sun's rays due to strange mucus forming on their skin, my succubus only dared to look at them with great disgust.
They might have looked like simple stinking animals, but I was well aware of how they were far more than just that...
And still I made the mistake to attack blindly without consideration of a special tactic. The first one of them fell instantly, the wretched creature died from the first shadow bolt and my lack of mercy. Yet it still could call out for help. And even though their language may only consist of gargling sounds, the social network of murloc's has developed extremely far.
Upon the sound of the dying scream, 'Aaaaaughibbrgubugbugrguburgle!' six murlocs came racing towards me with spears clutched in their slimy hands, ready to kill any intruder of their lands.
I tried to take out as many of them as quickly as I could with my Corruption spell and other curses, yet even though the effect of Corruption seemed to be amplified if I compared it with the usual effect it had on humanoid creatures, most of the murlocs just simply ignored most of my casts.
For a sole moment they seemed unstoppable as a strange form of doubt crept up on me.
As soon as I had let my guard down for even only a second one of the creatures had been able to reach me and my demon. It jumped directly at us the moment it came in range to do so. Startled by this sudden turn of events I was unable to react and its teeth dug deep into the undead flesh of my right arm as a punishment for my imprudence. As the jaw of the little monster began crushing even my bones Darnys luckily came to my aid still in time. One aimed strike with her whip and the bite of the murloc loosened. Yet the real horror was still to come...
As the one of them fell to the ground without further movement, I heard it again, but this time twice...
"Aaaaaughibbrgubugbugrguburgle!"
Two of the injured ones, which had endured my spells to the very ends, cried out loud. A feeling of fear concerning what might ascend from the sea before me took hold of me quickly, but was shaken of as nothing happened at first. Carefully my eyes scanned the area, but all I could see were the murlocs that had already tried to attack me and I didn't notice anything suspicious about those either. But yet again would my unaware have almost been my downfall for only moments later I could already hear them. At least thirty of those damnable creatures would be here in not even a minute to come. I had no choice but to retreat. So Darnys and I fled from the shore and up into the hills again.
Luckily enough none of them followed us.
But worst of all was that I had to solve two problems now instead of only one. First of all, I had to still find out where the book could be and secondly how to get rid of the little murloc army down there at the coast, only waiting for me to come out again so they could take another bite. Hiding behind a couple trees still rather close by I took the newly found time to think about the situation and soon came up with something concerning the newly acquired second of my problems. I wondered whether the touch of my voidwalker would have the same effect on murlocs as it had on humans.
Searching the book would still be difficult enough I figured, but I had to get it somehow... so I might as well try... The whole murloc tribe was alarmed and ready to attack me as soon as an opportunity arose for them. Those dumb creatures didn't know what they were getting into... I just wanted that one old rest of a book and I'd be gone again, but no they had to go all-out war on my... And I didn't think that they would want to kill me either because of hunger. I assumed they didn't eat undead flesh, even though my frail hopes that they could have been vegetarians had been destroyed the moment when I had seen their fangs for the first time.
Not to mention their slimy skin, their gazing almost lifeless eyes and their razor-sharp fangs and claws.
God, how I began to hate murlocs on that day...
By sheer coincidence I spotted the folio fast, even from the hills above of the coast already. Well sort of at least... I only saw something gleaming in one of the huts of the murlocs in the distance, not too far away from the little army awaiting my return. They were still standing there on the look-out for me.
Now for the more troublesome and annoying part of my plan I had to explain to Darnys that I would need the aid of my voidwalker for a while and that I was not strong enough to support them both in this world at my side. The expression on her face darkened immediately, not even because of anger, but of something that looked strangely like sadness.
At first she really didn't want to go, she would have probably done almost anything in return so she could stay with me but after a while I was able to convince her. And all in all it could have gone a lot quicker... the only thing I had to tell her was that afterwards I would summon her again right away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She said with her last words before she slipped through my loosened guard and kissed me on the cheek just a second before she left to the demonic realm.
I often wondered what the reason behind her strong affection towards me was. We had barely known each other for a few days and yet she had been clinging on to me from the very first moment on. What was her motive behind all of this? I know as much that there are those warlocks keeping such demons for their own fleshly pleasures - glorified sex-slaves in other words, but I had none of those intentions. Maybe that was why she was so interested in me? Did she try to conquer my cold rotten heart like in a badly written fairy-tale? Or was it that she felt the limitless potential slumbering deep inside me? Yet this would have also meant that she had been aware of the fact that she would never have been able to turn things around on us. She would have never been able to control me... and I already knew that succubi seemed rather fickle minded when it comes down to their loyalties. After all not everything told in rumors or old bed-time stories is made up...
With a loud moaning sound my voidwalker stepped into this realm and to my side. He looked around in disgust... everything was so colorful and bright. I supposed he would have a lot of fun with the murlocs. He would surely come to love them as they all had their bright green or violet scales with a red toning scattered out randomly over their bodies.
Mustering up the courage to continue, me and my voidwalker approached the beach again. I know fully well that the word courage might be overly exaggerating things but I reckon it would serve as most fitting for the situation I'm trying to describe.
Anyhow, I was left with nothing else but to pray that this hit and run tactic would work out how I imagined it to. At the time I still didn't know a single spell that could deal with a larger amount of enemies – like the murlocs – all at once. So the only thing I could do was to order my voidwalker to attack the murlocs straight forward. And they fell for my trap... The moment they saw my demon emerge from the hills they charged at it. In the same moment I started to run down to the beach myself.
Luckily, it worked out rather nicely. Every murloc my voidwalker touched with its hands fell into the warm sand shivering. Yet it seemed my luck came to an unsuspected end.
Aaaaaughibbrgubugbugrguburgle!
About five of the murlocs suddenly cried out for help, ignoring that they should be downed and unable to do anything but breed on their own uselessness. I guess they never thought that far... And just as I had come to the opinion that the whole murloc attack squad must have been rallied around that blue bulb called Belmon, but no, from the far east and the far west of the beach dozens more of the fish-eyed creatures came running towards me. Their only goal: to rip me to shreds... It was unbelievable how fast those murlocs could be.
No more time to waste! I had to hurry things up.
As soon as I reached the murloc hut the reinforcements of the little murloc army had almost arrived. I grabbed the book blindly as there hadn't been even enough time for me to check whether it really was the one I had been searching for.
The first few creatures were already close enough to start leaping at me. I desperately tried to keep them away from me by casting Corruption and Immolate spells on them, though I soon realized that the latter of the two was more or less useless. The number of murlocs around Belmon also didn't diminish, they recovered way too fast for him, or he was simply too slow... either of those would work.
The moment I came running passed the voidwalker I ordered him to follow me immediately up the hill and away from the shore.
If we only got away far enough, the murlocs wouldn't follow us anymore, I hoped, believing strongly in the most common of rumors concerning them. They are to be bond to the water in a kind of way our kin could not imagine. Their skin desiccates quite fast and most of the murlocs that were following us right now hadn't been in water for quite a while now. This would probably be my only chance to get away with all limbs still attached.
Slowly, but constantly the number of pursuing murlocs was growing thinner as I ever so slowly drew nearer to the high mountains of Alterac. And as I had finally reached the road even the last and most stubborn murlocs had given up and returned to their homestead - the coast.
By then for the first time I had the chance to look at the book I held in my arm. I opened it up slowly afraid of what I might find out about its content. Seeing how most of the text was written in Eredrun I felt incredible relief. Just as I had hoped in the middle of it pages were missing, so this actually could be the book I had been searching for. I quickly decided it was not worth the trouble to go back and look for any other folios that just happened to be there. I would take the risk of having the wrong one and just started to make my way back towards Tarren Mill.
I just hate those freaking murlocs.
Something that was unusual though was how the animals in this area started attacking me for no reason at all. I had no to only little problems dealing with the mountain lions or bears around there, but they usually avoided me completely either because they sensed that I was stronger to begin with or I simply wasn't on their menu. So it seemed the book turned out somewhat dangerous after all... driving the local wildlife insane enough to start nibbling on undead flesh.
Anyways I had to focus on the tasks at hand and to do that I had to change continents first and foremost of all. The closest and most likely also fastest way to get to Kalimdor from here would be traveling by airship. I saw the tower standing tall where they dock already on my way from Brill over to the ruins of Lordaeron. Kaal also had me filled in on the goblin airships connecting the Undercity with the orcish capital Orgrimmar. He also made note that it would be fairly dangerous, but it definitely the fastest means of transport and beat any ship by several days. Only thing else he put special emphasis on was not to let my valuable by lying around openly. I didn't worry too much about any of this and my mind was made up quickly, besides... there never really had been a choice to make.
After arriving in Undercity again, I dismissed my voidwalker and summoned Darnys back to my side. I had given her a promise after all. And as soon as she stepped forth from the twisted nether she immediately clutched on to me again, fairly happy to see me alive and well, though she also appeared somewhat miffed to me. I've never fully stopped questioning her behavior, but I also have to state one thing... and just to make it clear - I was always the warlock and she remained to only be my demonic slave...
Now with my next destination set as it would be the valley called Thousand Needles, I only had a rough idea where that would be. So... it was only logical for me to head back over to the cartographer in Undercity and get a map of the whole continent as long as I still had the chance.
It appeared would take me quite some time to get there from Orgrimmar. It was a good way down south, but maybe if I'd be lucky enough the orcs might have sported similar way of transport like the Forsaken had with their trained bats.
After gathering every necessary I'd need to take along for the trip we left Undercity only a couple of hours later and boarded the airship docking on to the tower. The goblins up there somehow reminded me of my imp.
They were almost equally small, their voices high pitched and most of them were complaining and nagging constantly. With the similarities obvious like this I wondered if the two races might have been far relatives to each other. I felt the urge to ask one of the green little buggers about it, but ultimately I refrained from doing so slightly wary of the trip to come.
The flight itself took about a day or a half. The ocean itself is huge on its own yet we also took a slight detour to the coast of Northrend because of a giant storm right in the center of it all. The crew of the ship called that area the Maelstrom. I for my part had only heard rumors about that place so far and could hardly fathom what raw power and threat lay bare at the core of our world.
And quite frankly it is still hard for me to believe how that place - the center of the known world even; now lying in the middle of the ocean - was once supposed to be the home of the nightelves and the Well of Eternity connecting the two continents we live on now. The sheer amount of land dragged down into the deeps as the well erupted, shattering the old world asunder... In other, shorter words: the tale of queen Azshara.
But I didn't spend all my time on the airship with idle thoughts of pointless history. I used the time well trying to learn as much about the demonic language Eredrun as possible. I simply ordered Darnys to talk to me in demonic for a while, letting her translated only the words I hadn't understood the first time afterwards. And soon enough I felt no pain anymore when hearing the language. And as I grew more fluent in understanding the wretched syllables began growing on me. I can't tell how much I influenced my fellow travelers on this trip but quite obviously I didn't have the time to concern myself with my lowly surrounding and the well-being of those who might were listening in on me. Their bleeding ears would be punishment enough for meddling with things far beyond their understanding.
If you don't know too much about it, it might be hard to believe that the language of the demons is actually in a way rather poetic compared to our own if you take the time and translate the rough and cruel sounding words that are used.
After we had finally arrived in Kalimdor I took the time to have a look around the city of Orgrimmar. The city itself was huge enough though surely on par with the Banshee Queen's realm, it had been built into a canyon and the entrances were heavily fortified.
As we passed through the surprisingly ill guarded main gate, we entered the wide and open market district of the orcs. Vendors, taverns and a giant bank formed the center of Orgrimmar, the Valley of Strength as it was called in their barbaric tongue. A large tower right behind the large hut in the middle completed the scene.
I personally didn't like the style of the city too much as I'd prefer Undercity in every aspect, yet I still took my time and looked around for a while. You never know what you might find in such a place and even a pig can hide treasure.
In the northeast of this part of the city a long and dark alley led to the Valley of Wisdom, where also the hall of the Warchief was situated. As I blindly followed my intuition I turned left into a small chasm with a way descending into a strange mist.
Looking around in this little cave, I spotted summoning circles everywhere around me accompanied by orcs in long robes following their studies of dark arts and forbidden magic. As I rightfully assumed I had found the Orgrimmar warlock guild just then. It should be fairly easy to remember where to find them judging from the looks of the place.
But as I found nothing to gain from the green-skins I continued my excursion through the city by following the crude signs to the Valley of Wisdom. I had no interest in meeting the Warchief of the orcs, but I wanted to have a look at his residence and after all, it should be one of the most important parts of the city. And you never know when you might need such information.
I always envisioned the Warchief would be living inside a small palace, but then I found myself standing in front of just another normal orcish stronghold. It was quite let down to be honest but well..., on the other hand, I should have expected as much...
Yet something else quickly caught my attention and not only due to Darnys. In front of the little complex Thrall was hiding the orcs had assembled something I would call a statue of a giant demon – a ragged and strange monument. Wondering who or what this demon once was I noticed my succubus shivering at my side, her tail right between her legs. Truly a sight I have never thought to witness.
Darnys did her best not look at it turning away from the pile of bones. Reaching around her back and holding on to her shoulder, well aware she would enjoy it and hopefully loosen up a bit I asked her what was wrong.
"His eyes...", She stumbled as her voice was trembling. I looked at the monstrous skull, but couldn't see anything at all.
My arm still around her she pressed herself against me for another moment before she started pushing onwards. No doubt about it, how she wanted to leave this place, but I on the other hand had learned something valuable... I knew that those bones where keeping a secret from the world, a secret tightly locked away and still to be unveiled.
Moving onwards we came past another large hall as we drew nearer to the Valley of Spirits. We were fairly high up by then, probably the same level as the top of the tower with a rope bridge connecting both. To my own surprise I had a look over the edge of this little cliff inside the city and it suddenly dawned on me how I had not even noticed that we had gone up this high.
But more importantly after crossing the shacking bridge, on the top level of the tower in the city's center I found what I had been searching for since we had arrived here, something similar to the bats of the Forsaken. Only difference being that they used a strange, wretched animal, something I had never seen before. The orc in command called it a Wyvern or Windrider for the common folk. It had the body and the head of a lion with two large fangs reaching out of its mouth, wings like a bat and a tail that reminded me of a scorpion.
I dismissed Darnys as soon as I had the information needed, confirming how this thing would be able to carry me to where I wanted to go. As usual I told her that I would call for her as soon as I had arrived in Thousand Needles. She gave me the same sad look as always, but quickly agreed upon seeing the strange thing I would take to get down there. What a funny animal indeed if even a demon looked at it as awkward. As soon as Darnys stepped back into the twisting nether be both embarked on our paths.
The flight with the Wyvern took me through the area in central Kalimdor called the barrens. Only a few oases disrupt the constant wasteland and gave it a bit more color. That area was huge and it took ages to get through it, even though this mount I found myself own soared through the skies far faster than the bats of Undercity. I don't even want to imagine how long it would have taken me if I had decided to travel by foot...
I flew past an orcish war-camp as well as a tauren one later on. To the west lay the lush green planes of Mulgore, home of the giant bovines called Tauren... I suppose that area was a far more pleasant place to live in compared to Durotar or the barrens, maybe even Tirisfal.
As I finally reached the south end of the barrens I saw a kind of elevator from high above, finest tauren architecture. I've never understood how these things worked if I'm completely honest with you. They appear to not use any rope at all. Probably some form of magic I don't grasp, but assumingly far simpler than I would imagine. But well, I did not waste too much time thinking about that either...
The moment I entered Thousand Needles I understood for the first time why it was called that way. The Wyvern flew rather close the ground at that time making the large stone pillars everywhere appearing as an even more miraculous thing to see. On the other hand, you quickly start to hate the place if you have to travel through all of it as often as I had to. At the bottom of the valley the vile centaurs have their domain, additionally to that the Grimtotem tribe of the Tauren also have an outpost on some of the pillars too. Unfortunately they are not too friendly with members of the Horde, so they attacked me the moment they saw me riding on that Windrider. Luckily for me the Wyvern knew the way it had to go and I guess the creature was already used to the spears these tauren threw at us, it dodged them all with ease.
Only few pillars later it began to slow down, preparing for the landing. I recognized the huts early on top of the plateau early, all of them bearing the symbol of the Horde with falls pride.
We landed safely in the middle of a small tauren settlement. They welcomed me with open arms, making me wonder why they were so happy to see me. But for the moment I simply assumed they didn't have too many visitors around there. From this point onwards the searching would begin anew therefore I went ahead and asked one of the inhabitants of the camp where I would find the closest centaur settlement. They had it... I knew as much and quickly figured any of those places would do to start off from. Eventually I'd find the right cave, even if I had to slaughter my way through all of their little settlements. Fortunately at least the first of those was just up north from the point where I was. The tauren also showed me the elevator and told me that I would just have to pass through the two stone pillars directly in front of me and then I would find myself right in the middle of the centaur camp. He asked me why I wanted to go there, but I was quick to turn down his question and simply told him that this was none of his business. At least he was no idiot – he accepted what I said without any further questioning...
Eager and now after having been pointed into a direction I stepped onto the left of the two elevator platforms which would take me down the side of the pillar. Those things are quite fast if you're on them, however, if you're forced to wait for them to come up to you? You'll find yourself usually standing in front of the one arriving later. But you also don't want to go over to the other one because you are standing on a long wooden runway hovering in mid-air because the elevators are always in a fair distance to the surface of the upper level. Freakish tauren architecture...
As I had then finally reached the bottom level of the valley, I took a look around where I would have to go. That steak on two legs up there hadn't been joking... the centaurs had a large settlement right behind those pillars that I was standing up front of me at that moment, only a couple of meters away from this camp of the horde. Risky admittedly, but both sides seemed to be able to hold each other at bay good enough...
Everything clear around me I summoned Darnys back to my side as I had promised to her earlier. She greeted me a bit too friendly for my liking that time and flung her arms right around my neck without warning. She said something on the likes of how glad she was to see me, but I could already imagine again how she formed the words 'What took you so long?' with her beautiful, perfect lips.
I passed through the stone pillars first, my succubus close behind me. A small ridge of spears formed a kind of wall that you could bypass far too easily. They didn't even try...
But for now I mainly had no idea where I would have to search for the rest of the folio... So I simply did the thing I had to do, I started killing my way through their encampment. I guessed somebody of the tauren would approve of that idea too.
The stench of those four-legged things dying around me was unbelievable even for my numbed senses, flies everywhere forming whole swarms in the air. I was quite sure that no one on this planet would miss a single one of these dreadful creatures.
One after the other fell to my various spells. They were no match for me nor my magic by any means. A single shadow bolt ripped their bodies in two, leaving nothing but a bloody mess of spilled guts behind to collect. Darnys didn't even attack a single one of them. Although I have to admit, I never ordered her to do so. She looked a bit annoyed by this lack of commands, which I was in fact too though due to entirely different reasons. These creatures, so tall and such a thick skin, yet they all turned so fragile and feeble before me as I passed my judgment of strength.
After a while most of the centaurs that had still been left fled the camp as fast as they could. I was sure a couple of them would remember my name and try to seek revenge for their tribe. But what should I say? It's not that I would care about it at all now. Well, even at that time I couldn't have cared less about them. I could have easily obliterated all of them as they fled in panic with a sole gesture of my hands. Vermin...
The fact that the hoofed ones had left did not make it that much easier for me to search for the text. I could not find it in any of the huts around me. I began wondering if they really could have been so foolish to take it with them, to make me to their hunter... Or maybe it was hidden somewhere else? As I asked myself these questions Darnys tipped my shoulder. I turned around to her as she was pointing at the stone wall in front of us.
"I sense a demonic presence in there..." She whispered, careful to keep her voice as low as she could.
I immediately knew I should investigate that, but how to get in there? There seemed to be no entrance to a cave anywhere around us... So nothing else left to do we started following the wall of the cliff for a while to the east and to my own surprise we really stumbled upon something that looked like a badly hidden cavern.
If that demonic presence really should turn out to be the text I was searching for then the centaurs probably were worshipping it like an old god. I already knew good enough that this book was dangerous enough on its own but that it was able to attract and influence the simple and small minded creatures like this was a bit disturbing, even for me.
Without too much care we entered the newly found cave. Quite honestly we turned around into the first stone corridor we came across not exactly knowing where would have to go, only following Darnys' intuition. The whole cave was lit with torches standing basically in every corner one would fit. To our right another way opened up into a somewhat larger circular room filled with spears. On every one of them a head of a fallen enemy was reminding of his or her defeat. I saw the heads of orcs and humans, tauren and trolls alike. Even one or two elves had fallen to the centaur. I didn't see a single one of the Forsaken and I was sure at that time, they wouldn't get mine for their collection. A nice idea for a monument but I hardly could appreciate after such a display of the weakness.
We turned away from the chamber with the spears and followed the corridor leading deeper into the cave again. It ended sooner than I had expected as we reached a large cave with a small lake in its middle. Two fiercely looking centaurs were guarding a chest in between two more torches, yet those with bright blue flames crackling fiercely. An omen maybe? But in the end it matters not... I knew I had to get into the chest though. Something inside of me eagerly spilled its secrets.
I did not care about the two centaurs in the slightest. None of them would prove to be a worthy opponent of me, just like the rest of their clan, tribe or whatever they called it. One of the two went up in flames due to my immolate running off screaming like the wretched thing he was, jumping head first into the small lake and the second one was hit in the chest by my shadow bolt, leaving an almost circular hole right in its middle. The creature fell to the ground, blood fleeing from the wound. I thought of the one centaur behind me in the lake and cast a curse of agony on him before turning to the more... pressing matters. The screams of those creatures are gruesome to ones ears. From that day on I tried to remember to never cast this spell on one of them ever again.
The chest was opened quickly and feeling success I took the withered pages of the folio. If I think about it, it was all terribly easy. The murlocs of Hillsbrad at least had put up a fight...
Happily I took the tome out of my bag and put the missing pages inside the almost empty hull. Afterwards I put it away again, storing it for the right moment when it would emerge from its slumber.
The way out of the cave and the centaur encampment at a whole was nothing but boring... there were no enemies left anyhow. The only strange thing was a group of hyenas attacking me as soon as we had reached the road outside. I dealt with them quick and efficiently before taking the elevator back to the top of the stone pillar. Just as I reached the small encampment up there, the guards started all looking at me with mistrust, even anger. I could not imagine why their attitude had changed this much since I had left them only a few hours ago. Besides..., I had done them a great favor, hadn't I?
One of the elders came out of his tent and walked up towards me. I'd call him bold or bland now, but I was still an apprentice, though far more capable than any other before me even during that moment. He stopped several feet in front of me as if he didn't dare to tread any closer and said something on the likes of: "I don't want to be too unfriendly as you have fought many centaurs today and probably erased a threat to our little settlement up here... yet, you carry something more vile with you than the demon by your side. And we cannot tolerate to have it in our midst even for only a short time. You will have to leave immediately!"
His voice was gentle and his words were as polite as they could be for an old geezer. I nodded silently and turned to the Wyvern behind me after dismissing Darnys again. She gave the elder a sharp look for me the moment before she left to her realm. I guessed she didn't like how I was treated there, though it only hasted my trip and that clearly was a good thing. Despite all the good thinking, on that day I learned that someone like me, dealing with demonic magic would never have too many friends around.
The young tauren who was taking care of the Windriders and who greeted me so friendly, at first refused to give me one of his beloved, untainted animals to get to Ratchet at first. Yet the elder was swift to convince him, probably he told him that this would be the only way to get rid of me as fast as possible.
There I was, alone again... yet this time, I was strong and I knew how to gain more power. How to make use of my gift...
The flight to Ratchet surprisingly didn't take too long all in all, at least when compared to the lengthy travel south. And this time we didn't even need to pass the Grimtotem Tauren at the entrance to Thousand Needles and dodge their spears, instead we flew directly to the north. By taking this way we passed a swamp area called the Dustwallow Marshes. The Wyvern flew along close to the coastline as we passed a large human stronghold on our way. Later I was to find out that this was the famous city of Theramore, led by the noble lady Jaina Proudmoore. All these titles of false heroism...
After leaving the marshes behind, the city of Ratchet was already close by.
The Windrider sped up and we reached the town after about five more minutes. Ratchet was a goblin city like any other... corrupt and most of all volatile. I don't like these obnoxious green bastards one bit, their only concern lies with money, money and even more money. They sell their fighting ability and their technological advance to the highest bidder without any questions asked. And even for the small info about the warlock residing in their midst they wanted to charge me. It's a shame. I paid the goblin the gold he wanted so I could just go on quickly, but not without tipping him a small curse on the side...
Anyways I was told the man I sought lived just outside town in a tower built up on a hill overlooking the area, as the goblin pointed past me. I turned around and saw the tower. I bit my tongue in anger to have paid five gold to a goblin for this little piece of information, but he got what he deserved in the end.
Nevertheless I found my way up there quickly. You just had to turn right immediately after leaving the city, not even involved any hiking to be done. I summoned Darnys on my way over there as the feeling started to grow on me that it would be good to show up with a strong demon by my side.
As I drew nearer to the tower I already saw a man standing in front of it.
"I was awaiting you." He announced in a clear voice but all I could muster up for him was a gaze of open disbelief. "Well, did you expect me not to notice you while carrying such a dangerous artefact? I felt your presence the moment you put the text into the tome. The demonic energy of the folio is tremendous and far too dangerous for our realm. There are many ways to summon a Felhunter, the way you took is definitely the most daring and probably ... the most foolish one. But for congratulating you it is still too early. We will see of what you are capable of soon enough." Anger rose up in me upon hearing those words. The man on the other hand ignored my growling and casually pointed inside the open building. "Now please, Kaal has sent note to me about you, yet it seems even he underestimated your speed. My name is Strahad Farsan, me and my apprentices will assist you in summoning the creature you seek to control." He made a short pause as three young female orcs were setting themselves up, each of them taking a precise position inside a large summoning circle.
" Be careful apprentice, by using this book to summon a demon form the twisted you will definitely reach deeper into its layers to summon something stronger and more powerful than with any other methods. Who knows what you might pull out of the portal? Be fates guest... for now..."
At least having taken this way had its advantages. The warlock was brief with his explanations and directly went on to the summoning of the demon I wanted. He told me to step right into the middle of the drawings on the floor and read the summoning from the book when he gave me the sign to do so. Easy enough I figured.
The summoning circle beneath my feet was a lot more difficult than the ones I had seen so far, actually I believe it was rather two circles entwined then just plainly one.
The old man then started talking in demonic, reciting bits and pieces of an old incantation, the three apprentices quietly focusing on the creation of a portal to the demon world. Normally these portals were somewhat more circular with edges moving like flames. But this one? It was different. The old warlock gave me the instruction to read the lines from the book. The moment I did so a black hand rose from the ground and hovered at the height of my face. As I went on reading aloud the color of the hand turned to a dark violet and it started to split up into six smaller ones. The fingers were all connected in one point and then they slowly drifted apart leaving a dark area behind them.
So this was a portal to the demonic realm that even I could step through... It was tempting to have look through it, even only a short one..., but I had to go on reading the lines from the folio if I wanted my forth minion. Darnys was still standing outside the tower only glancing past the entrance door into the portal. She was clearly afraid of something.
"X alar maev ur rikk nagas! (I will feed on your magic!)" I heard no voice but someone had just spoken to me, just as if the words were coming directly from my own thoughts.
Then something jumped out of the portal passed me at a high velocity. I turned around immediately, the portal closing behind me. So this was a felhunter. It looked a bit like the demon form of a dog or a wolf, still it was totally different. Its whole body was covered with scales glistening in a bloody red tone, only a few parts of the creature covered up something resembling pitch black fur. The feet of the demon were sole claws, no paws anything like that. Two giant horns came out of the shoulders of the creature, each of them easily equally long as my arms. Two black tentacles came out of the back of its head pointing directly towards me. The head of the felhunter was slim and rather long with a mouth filled with giant sharp teeth, hardly even fitting in. The only thing I really could not make out on this creature were its eyes. Did it even have some?
I demanded that it should tell me its name just like with any other demon, but received no response at all.
Instead it charged directly at me. The demon was fast, agile and swift. I heard how the warlock behind instructed his students to keep out of this fight at all costs, a slight distraction I should not have given in to.
I used the spare seconds I had to cast an Immolate and a Corruption spell on the demon before I had to dodge it. Yet the felhunter only opened his mouth one or two times and I heard his voice is my head again, "Kanrethad...(Delicious...)"
I ordered Darnys to attack it from behind. And she did as she was told but the hits with her whip hardly did anything to the monstrosity. It didn't even care about the succubus standing behind him, or it, or whatever...
Taking a more direct approach again I sent a shadow bold flying towards the demon's head. It hit it directly in the face, but... not even a scratch caused by the impact. Any normal creature would have died instantly after receiving such a pointblank hit. Even the old warlock looked surprised, seemingly it should have done at least a little bit of damage. Growing unsure I asked myself what fiend I had called upon.
But the demon left me little to no time to think at all and charged right at me again, this time I couldn't avoid the full hit, one of his claws scratched my arm. It hurt incredibly for whatever reasons it stimulated such pain. It was almost as if his claws were able to create an effect equal to the curses I used on my lesser foes.
I had to think of something quickly, my magic wouldn't work on the creature, and neither would the magic of Darnys and there was no way to ask the old man for help if I wanted to keep this pet... But luckily I came up with something on the fly the moment my eyes grazed the tower again. As I saw the building in front of me I knew what I had to do. It would prove to be quite a gamble, but I had to take my chances if I wanted to get this demon under control.
So I ran back into the building, right into the middle of the summoning circle. The demon was quick to follow me just as I had hoped it would. It probably saw me more as a meal than anything else.
I used the few moments I had to send a shadow bolt flying to the ceiling above me, it pierced through the wall slightly below it, letting it rain down some smaller stones. As I prepared the second shadow bolt the demon took me down, but I could still send it flying to the ceiling. Unfortunately it hit the other side of the wall also close beneath it – the impact had thrown my aim off too far.
The demon was now standing above of me, the razor-sharp teeth only a few inches away from my face.
"X alar gular adare mishun shi rikk ante shi. X karkun nagas aman ashj amanalar alar arakal melar matheredor .(I will drain every energy you have from you. A strong magic user like you will surely taste tremendous.)" As the demon pinned down my arms, the two tentacles from its back attached to my chest and I felt how my stamina and energy were slowly fading from the very second on. Darnys charged at the demon in a final effort, but her attacks hardly did anything to the scaled body of the felhunter. It just kept ignoring her and continued to feast on my lifeblood, my essence.
Desperately I tried to concentrate on one last shadow bolt. I only had to hit the ceiling once more, only one damn time. I yelled at Darnys to get out of the tower, but she wouldn't move. No other options left and no more time to lose I tore my right arm free from underneath the claws of the felhunter. It tore away a large part of the undead flesh of my arm. Yet a small jet of dark purple light flew up.
I heard how the stones of the tower crumbled, though I couldn't see it, everything around me grew blurry, the demon almost had me done... I tried to yell at Darnys again, that she should get out of the room immediately. I didn't know whether she had done what I had said or not. The next thing I can remember is that the body of the demon was suddenly pressed against mine as large parts of the ceiling hit it in the back and the creature let out a howl of pain and surprise. I on the other hand had the more advantageous position for once... I used the body of the creature as a cover for myself.
It took a while for them until somebody finally managed to get us out from under the pile of rocks.
As the stones were taken away I rolled the body of the felhunter off me and stood up. My legs staggering a bit as I made my way out of the tower, Darnys jumped right at me throwing her arms around my neck offering her support.
The old warlock then ordered his apprentices to get the felhunter out of the tower too. Just about after it had been dragged outside by the young orcs I took a close look at the creature and heard a faint voice in my head. So it wasn't dead after all...
"Thoonum"